Need help identifying bakelite revolver grips

[Corporal Steak]

Hello all,
A while ago I helped a recently widowed neighbor sort through some of her late husband's belongings, and came across some gun parts, which I bought from her. One of the items in question is a set of bakelite grips with the S&W logo.

I did some research, and the only useful information I found was that the grips look to be from a pre-war L frame revolver.

There are numbers on the inside, possibly a serial or batch number. From what I could tell, these are 196488 (somewhat visible in third photo)

Any help in identifying them would be appreciated, as I intend to sell them later, and need to know what I'd be selling.
-John

 

[murphydog]

Welcome! These are likely from a small top-break or Hand Ejector I frame. The number indicates they may have been from one of at least 5 different models - a .32 or .38 Double Action or Safety Hammerless, or a .32 Hand Ejector. Posting a photo of them next to a ruler, or giving measurements, would confirm this. Hope this is helpful.

 

[Alk8944]

As murphydog stated these could be from any of several models and frame sizes. Without something to scale the photos from it is impossible to tell!

The number stamped, or more likely, scratched inside the right panel is the serial number of the gun they were originally fit to. And, they are not Bakelite, a Phenolic resin product. They are Hard Rubber, aka Vulcanite or Ebonite.

 

[damienph]

I would like to know more about the research that led you to believe that your grips could be for a pre-war L frame revolver.... The L frame was not introduced until 1980.

 

[Corporal Steak]

Welcome! These are likely from a small top-break or Hand Ejector I frame. The number indicates they may have been from one of at least 5 different models - a .32 or .38 Double Action or Safety Hammerless, or a .32 Hand Ejector. Posting a photo of them next to a ruler, or giving measurements, would confirm this. Hope this is helpful.

Took a photo on graph paper, with a ruler for reference. Thicker lines on graph paper are an inch apart.

From what I could tell, they are 2 1/2" tall, and about 1 3/4" wide. I'm not sure how grips are normally measured, so I measured in a "box" shape, measuring the extreme edges

 

[Corporal Steak]

I would like to know more about the research that led you to believe that your grips could be for a pre-war L frame revolver.... The L frame was not introduced until 1980.

I emailed a friend who is more experienced than me in the firearms world about them, and he suggested the pre-war L frame. That was the only information, other than he found a "Terrier" model being sold with similar grips. He also suggested Bakelite, and from what I understand it's very similar in appearance to hard rubber/vulcanite

 

[k22fan]

The pre-war frame was an I frame. My guess is you just miss-read a capital I as a small case l. We do get nit-picky. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Hondo44]

The grips are Gutta Percha a hard rubber made from the S. American Gutta Percha tree sap.

They will fit any pre war or post war round butt I frame of any caliber (not the New I frame Model of 1953),
and also the earlier .38 S&W DA top break/safety hammerless. (but not the 32 top breaks). However they
were not used by the factory after WW II.